Alhamdulillah, developing this sportswear brand has been a long journey from forming the idea 10 years ago, (waaaay back when 'Muslimah athletes' and 'sports hijab' were oxymorons) to most recently defining the reach of my clothing market.
At first, my idea of Islamic sportswear was very westernised, and very.. lenient.
The burqini was the most Islamic looking swimsuit I'd seen.
But now, after learning from other Muslimahs and then learning from the Quran and hadith myself,
I've come to realise that Islamic dress is very defined. Long, loose and a chest-covering hijab.
And many of the Islamic clothing brands do not cater for this.
What about those Muslimahs who are serious about the Islamic dress code and also serious about sports or exercise?
That is the typical customer that friniggi sportswear caters for. That is "Ameera Jane". (Ameera Jane is a fictitional character on our site. She defines and illustrates the Western Muslim woman who is dresses according to Quran and Sunnah, but also lives a relatively Western lifestyle within the halaal boundaries.)
So yes, our sports hijab (which are due out soon with the opening of our NEW site and online store) is loose, and covers the chest. And yes, many may find this restrictive or 'gets in the way', but there are also many who live by Quran and Sunnah, who do not leave room for leniency, and these are the women that I want to take care of. Because there is nothing good enough out there for them.
So if you do not want chest-covering hijab or loose fitting performance sportswear, please try the following sports hijabs, (there are many who are happy with these products as they are)
Yes, I'll even link you straight to them, because I'm all for Muslim women in sports and exercise, whatever you choose to wear:)
1. Resporton www.resporton.com
2. Baahiya collections - See their Athetica Sports Hijab http://www.bahiyacollections.com/8-31-7-athletica-sports-hijab.aspx
3. Capsters www.capsters.com
4. Shukr Active Hijab
Hope I have helped you find the right clothing for your sporting needs, whatever it is that you choose to wear.
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Badminton World Federation enforces skirt policy on female players
In what is being called an outrageous act in the 21st century, the age of gender equality, the Badminton World Federation has recently enforced the rule that all female players have to wear skirts on the court.
Players and associations from all over the world have protested against this calling it the "sexualisation of athletes".
It has sparked so muh controversy that the Federation is rethinking its rule and even considering scrapping it completely.
The Federation says it feels misunderstood, as they were only trying to up the sport's popularity with a finicky media. And short skirts on long female legs would do the trick.
Unfortunately, badminton is a hug sport in Asia where Muslim majorities enjoy the sport.
Many feel this rule strips them of their chance to play at the elite professional level as it conflicts with their religious Islamic dress code.
Says Sarah Murray, learn director of Women Win, an Amsterdam-based international women’s rights organization of this skirt-policy:
"There could be incredible pride in a woman in full Hijab winning at the elite level in that outfit," said Murray. "And this policy strips that woman of that choice."
I agree, Ms Murray. I hope they scrap it and give women the choice we deserve. But in a world fueled by materialism and sexual encounters of every kind, I doubt that'll happen.
Players and associations from all over the world have protested against this calling it the "sexualisation of athletes".
It has sparked so muh controversy that the Federation is rethinking its rule and even considering scrapping it completely.
The Federation says it feels misunderstood, as they were only trying to up the sport's popularity with a finicky media. And short skirts on long female legs would do the trick.
Unfortunately, badminton is a hug sport in Asia where Muslim majorities enjoy the sport.
Many feel this rule strips them of their chance to play at the elite professional level as it conflicts with their religious Islamic dress code.
Says Sarah Murray, learn director of Women Win, an Amsterdam-based international women’s rights organization of this skirt-policy:
"There could be incredible pride in a woman in full Hijab winning at the elite level in that outfit," said Murray. "And this policy strips that woman of that choice."
I agree, Ms Murray. I hope they scrap it and give women the choice we deserve. But in a world fueled by materialism and sexual encounters of every kind, I doubt that'll happen.
Useful stretch to do at your computer
It's generally recommended to take a 5 min break every hour or so, if you work for long periods at your computer.
Things to do during those 5 minute beaks:
1. Walk around your office, or room if you're at home.
2. Look at far away objects or at the wall across the room, to stretch your eye muscles.
3. Do simple wrist rotation exercises.
4. Bend and touch your toes, or as far as you can reach.
a5. Try this relaxing and loosening stretch for your arms which spend long hours in an awkward typing position. Your arms will thank you for it:
Stretch exercise 1:
Hold one arm in front of you so that it is parallel to the floor. Keeping your arm parallel to the floor, point your fingers upwards so that your palm faces forwards similar to a HALT gesture. Use your other arm to push your fingertips back towards you till you feel the stretch in the underside of your lower arm, between the wrist and elbow. Hold for 15 seconds.
Repeat with the other arm.
Stretch exercise 2:
Hold arm parallel to the floor, again. But this time rotate your arm so that your palm faces towards the ceiling.
Use your other arm to push your fingers down towards the floor till you feel the stretch in the underside of your arm between elbow and wrist. Hold for 15 seconds.
Repeat with other arm.
5 minutes done yet?
Return to your computer feeling looser and more relaxed.
Things to do during those 5 minute beaks:
1. Walk around your office, or room if you're at home.
2. Look at far away objects or at the wall across the room, to stretch your eye muscles.
3. Do simple wrist rotation exercises.
4. Bend and touch your toes, or as far as you can reach.
a5. Try this relaxing and loosening stretch for your arms which spend long hours in an awkward typing position. Your arms will thank you for it:
Stretch exercise 1:
Hold one arm in front of you so that it is parallel to the floor. Keeping your arm parallel to the floor, point your fingers upwards so that your palm faces forwards similar to a HALT gesture. Use your other arm to push your fingertips back towards you till you feel the stretch in the underside of your lower arm, between the wrist and elbow. Hold for 15 seconds.
Repeat with the other arm.
Stretch exercise 2:
Hold arm parallel to the floor, again. But this time rotate your arm so that your palm faces towards the ceiling.
Use your other arm to push your fingers down towards the floor till you feel the stretch in the underside of your arm between elbow and wrist. Hold for 15 seconds.
Repeat with other arm.
5 minutes done yet?
Return to your computer feeling looser and more relaxed.
Monday 16 May 2011
Importance of modesty
Modesty in Islam is a principle laid down in the Quran in Surat Nur.
Say to the believing men
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that will make
For greater purity for them:
And Allah is well acquainted
With all that they do.
And say to the believing women
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that they
Should not display their
Beauty and ornaments except
What (ordinarily) appear
Thereof; that they should
Draw their veils over
Their bosoms and not display
Their beauty except
To their husbands, their fathers,
Their Husband's fathers, their sons,
Their brothers or their brothers' sons,
Or their sisters' sons,
Or their women, or their slaves
Whom their right hands
Possess, or male attendants
Free of sexual desires.
Or small children who
Have no carnal knowledge of women;
And that they
Should not strike their feet
In order to draw attention
To their hidden ornaments.And O ye Believers!
Turn ye all together
Towards Allaah in repentance that ye
may be successful.
(Al -Quran, ch.24:30-31)
And
In the Quran, Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 (33:59) says:
O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their JALABIB close around them; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle.
Most Muslim women understand this to mean that they cover their hair, necks, ears, and bodies (soemtimes the feet) leaving only the face and hands exposed.
They do this with loose garments that do not reveal the shape of their bodies.
Up until recently this meant to me, that I wear at least midlength top with jeans. Long sleeved jacket or cardigan to cover my arms and I wrapped my hijab to cover my chest too.
But I have come across information that this is not proper hijab.
What constitutes proper hijab and Islamic dress?
The additional garment I am missing, in light of this new info, is an outergarment similar to abaya or the turkish Pardesu, which is a long coat-like garment worn over regular clothes.
I had asked scholars and those more knowledgable than me, about the requirement of an outergarment before, and their response was that as long as the clothes you wear are loose, long and cover the awrah it is not required.
Lately though, I find I'm drawn to the idea of an outergarment because I am tired of putting together westernised hijabified outfits that uses 4-5 peices of clothing. It's so much simpler to cover with an overgarment.
I can revert back to my pre-hijab days of tight jeans and slogan tee-shirts, and cover it all with a glamourous pardesu. Simple. easy. Fast.
It has gotten me thinking about applying this principle of outergarment to Islamic performance sportswear.
Say to the believing men
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that will make
For greater purity for them:
And Allah is well acquainted
With all that they do.
And say to the believing women
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that they
Should not display their
Beauty and ornaments except
What (ordinarily) appear
Thereof; that they should
Draw their veils over
Their bosoms and not display
Their beauty except
To their husbands, their fathers,
Their Husband's fathers, their sons,
Their brothers or their brothers' sons,
Or their sisters' sons,
Or their women, or their slaves
Whom their right hands
Possess, or male attendants
Free of sexual desires.
Or small children who
Have no carnal knowledge of women;
And that they
Should not strike their feet
In order to draw attention
To their hidden ornaments.And O ye Believers!
Turn ye all together
Towards Allaah in repentance that ye
may be successful.
(Al -Quran, ch.24:30-31)
And
In the Quran, Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 (33:59) says:
O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their JALABIB close around them; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle.
Most Muslim women understand this to mean that they cover their hair, necks, ears, and bodies (soemtimes the feet) leaving only the face and hands exposed.
They do this with loose garments that do not reveal the shape of their bodies.
Up until recently this meant to me, that I wear at least midlength top with jeans. Long sleeved jacket or cardigan to cover my arms and I wrapped my hijab to cover my chest too.
But I have come across information that this is not proper hijab.
What constitutes proper hijab and Islamic dress?
The additional garment I am missing, in light of this new info, is an outergarment similar to abaya or the turkish Pardesu, which is a long coat-like garment worn over regular clothes.
I had asked scholars and those more knowledgable than me, about the requirement of an outergarment before, and their response was that as long as the clothes you wear are loose, long and cover the awrah it is not required.
Lately though, I find I'm drawn to the idea of an outergarment because I am tired of putting together westernised hijabified outfits that uses 4-5 peices of clothing. It's so much simpler to cover with an overgarment.
I can revert back to my pre-hijab days of tight jeans and slogan tee-shirts, and cover it all with a glamourous pardesu. Simple. easy. Fast.
It has gotten me thinking about applying this principle of outergarment to Islamic performance sportswear.
Sunday 1 May 2011
Photoshoot for web content
3 models: Tatian, Nadira and Joanne.
one photographer - Amor
2 outfits.
Props: Exercise equipment including bicycle, 1.5kg dumbbells, mat, tennis racket, soccer ball.
2 weeks ago we had a photoshoot to create some professional photos for web content on the new upcoming site.
Being working mothers, my friend and the photographer, Amor and I had our 22 month old toddlers with us.
In between directing the shoot I had to keep the little ones at bay!
What a job!
But all in all the shoot turned out fine.
It was not a fashion shoot. In fact, truth be told, the pants and hijab are not even friniggi garments.
Only the workout tops - and even those are not the REAL garments as the differ in colour and fabric from the actual design.
But it was a rushed job to get the outfits in time for the shoot, which in turn had to be done in time for the website development.
The purpose of the shoot was to create some sporty looking pics to use on the new website. Instead of relying only on stock photos, which makes any web visitor's eyes glaze over upon first sight.
Scroll down the blog to view the pics. Or view the album - PHOTOSHOOT.
one photographer - Amor
2 outfits.
Props: Exercise equipment including bicycle, 1.5kg dumbbells, mat, tennis racket, soccer ball.
2 weeks ago we had a photoshoot to create some professional photos for web content on the new upcoming site.
Being working mothers, my friend and the photographer, Amor and I had our 22 month old toddlers with us.
In between directing the shoot I had to keep the little ones at bay!
What a job!
But all in all the shoot turned out fine.
It was not a fashion shoot. In fact, truth be told, the pants and hijab are not even friniggi garments.
Only the workout tops - and even those are not the REAL garments as the differ in colour and fabric from the actual design.
But it was a rushed job to get the outfits in time for the shoot, which in turn had to be done in time for the website development.
The purpose of the shoot was to create some sporty looking pics to use on the new website. Instead of relying only on stock photos, which makes any web visitor's eyes glaze over upon first sight.
Scroll down the blog to view the pics. Or view the album - PHOTOSHOOT.
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